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Yoga Day, Weight-Loss Success, and Home Gyms

Posted Jan 22 2009 4:38pm

Celebrate yoga, six successful weight-loss tips, and a home gym that gathers no dust.

Yoga Unites It doesn’t matter whether you’re an experienced yogi or a novice who think that yoga poses have silly names —Yoga Day USA is here and it wants you to celebrate! Yoga Day, celebrated this Saturday, Jan. 24, is an annual event held in various spots across the country. Free or nearly free workshops will be held to celebrate the day, so look one up near you. And even if you choose to stay home, strike your favorite yoga pose and celebrate by throwing a one-person private yoga party!

Key to Success Ready to blame your genes for not losing weight? Not so fast! A Consumer Reports survey of 21,632 people studied three key groups: those who had never been overweight, those who successfully lost and kept weight off, and those who have been unable to lose weight. It turns out that the eating and exercise habits of the “always thin” group and the “successful losers” are surprisingly similar, which goes to show that the “always thin” may not necessarily have a genetic edge. Similar behaviors were found between these two groups, including portion control, restricted fat in the diet, eating fruits, veggies and whole grains, eating at home, and exercise. It just goes to show that whether you’re looking to lose weight or maintain, a healthy diet and exercise are the keys to success. Fit bottoms depend on it!

Home Workout A lot of people have home workout equipment that gathers dusts … or is used as one more place to hang clothing. An interesting recent study on sedentary adults who were encouraged to start exercising showed that at six months, about half had begun a program, but at 12 months, a third of those people had given up. People with a home exercise machine were more likely to begin exercising (73 percent) but were also 12 percent more likely to quit than those who didn’t have equipment at home. It seemed that the most important factor in sticking with a program is self-efficacy—the belief that we have the power to achieve our goals. So while having a piece of equipment at home might make working out more convenient, you still need the motivation to get on it. Don’t get swept up by the empty promises of a shiny new machine, but rather set realistic goals for yourself. Meeting them will keep you motivated to continue. The FBGs believe in you!